SUDAN: A Report documenting human rights violations that occurred during the millions-march rallies on 30th June 2022

(29 July 2022) The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) has continued to monitor the continued crackdown on pro-democracy protests including killing of civilians and other human rights violations across Sudan since 25 October 2021. In this report, ACJPS gives an update on various incidents resulting in serious violations of human rights of civilians that occurred during the 30^th June a millions-march rally in Sudan.

On 30 June 2022, Joint Forces (Sudanese regular police, Central Reserve Police (CRP) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) launched attacks on crowds of peaceful protesters in Khartoum, ElFashir North Darfur, Port Sudan, Red Sea State, Kosti in White Nile State, Wad Madani in Aljazeera State during the millions-march rally. The security agencies used weapons such as live ammunitions, teargas, sticks and leathers lashes. In Elgenina in West Darfur, police used five teargas canisters against protesters, and this was a low number compared to the teargas cannisters used in other areas across Sudan. This report contains names and numbers of people detained, killed and injured during the rally across the different states in Sudan.

As result of these attacks, 09 peaceful protesters were killed including 01 under the age of 15 in Khartoum State. According to Sudanese Doctor’s committee statistics, 629 people were injured by live ammunition and teargas. Others were sexually harassed, tortured during the arrests and at detention centers. More than 200 protestors have been arrested and detained at police stations, at least 38 female protesters were detained at Northern Police Station. They were denied bail and later transferred to Omdurman Prison. 63 males including a minor were detained at Northern Police Station in Khartoum. Their lawyers were prevented from accessing them. They were denied bail and were later transferred to Suba prison, in Kosti While Nile state. Additionally, 9 advocates were beaten and arrested by SAF officers and detained at SAF headquarters before transferring them to a Police Station. They were later released without charges. 01 advocate fractured his right hand as result of torture.

In Kotsi, 73 people were arrested and detained at Kotsi police Station, 37 of them were transferred to a new prison and later released on bail on 2 July 2022. Others were previously released on the night of 30 June 2022 without charges.

In Port Sudan, 36 people were arrested by Police and later released on bail on 1July 2022. In ElFashir in North Darfur, 27 people were arrested. They were released on bail later that same day while 7 others were injured.

CRP officers were seen kicking a dead body of a 15-year-old boy after he was shot by a CPR officer on Main Street in Riyadh neighborhood in Khartoum. At Omdurman bridge in White Nile, SAF officers opened gunfire on peaceful protesters injuring several people.

The policing of assemblies must respect human rights and must be carried out in accordance with international standards, which prohibit the use of force unless strictly necessary and proportionate. Authorities should make it clear that arbitrary or abusive use of force by security forces will be punished as a criminal offence. We ask Sudanese authorities to cease violation of human rights of citizens guaranteed in the Constitutional Charter, Regional and international treaties ratified by Sudan.

We further call for:

• Immediate and unconditional release of all the remaining detainees and guarantee their physical safety and wellbeing including granting access to their lawyers, family members and medical services,
• Investigation into the abusive use of force including the killings and injuring of protesters with an aim to identify and hold perpetrators accountable,
• Investigations into the reported torture and ill-treatment of detainees with the aim of holding perpetrators accountable and providing compensation for the violations,
• Ensure access to free treatment and rehabilitation to individuals injured through the violent dispersal by the authorities,
• End the use of excessive and unnecessary force including during the dispersal of peaceful protests,
• Stop the criminalization of peaceful protests and guarantee the rights to peaceful assembly, free expression, liberty and security of persons and prohibition on torture and other ill-treatment.

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